AMA Waterways River Cruising on the Rhine & Mosel Rivers
Published Monday, April 25th 2011 - Updated Monday, April 25th 2011
I just returned from my first River Cruising experience in Europe. I had some lovely & pleasant short sleeve tee shirt weather averaging between 53 to 65 degrees during the daytime.
My seven night cruise started in Amsterdam (Netherlands), sailing south on the Rhine River to Cologne, Rudesheim, Mainz, Heidelberg, Koblenz, (Germany), back north to Cochem, then southwest onto the Mosel River to Bernkastel (Germany) and disembarking in Remich (Luxembourg).
The scenery was magnificent!
One picture postcard setting after another! I couldn't take enough pictures!! Castles; churches; quaint little villages; bridges of all sizes and shapes; passenger and cargo trains traveling in and out of the endless mountains; other river boats; harbors; farms; vineyards; beautiful, lush greenery.
On our route, we even went through a few locks, which was unexpected (for me) and fascinating.
There are no waves, as the river is very calm; no concern about motion sickness. As a matter of fact, many parts of the river are so shallow, that they say if the ship was to sink, all you have to do is walk up to the sundeck to stay above water.
Ship and Cabin Description
I was on the AMADagio of AMA Waterways with 140 passengers. There are 3 decks to the ship, plus sundeck. Maximum width and length of these river boats are 38’ by 443’ because there are a series of locks that the ship must pass through. Some of the bridges are so low, that guests are not allowed to sit on the sundeck during those sections of the river. It is very typical for river boats to dock side by side at the little towns. You embark/disembark by walking across the other ships. River cruising is not for guests requiring wheelchair assistance or who may have challenging disabilities.
My cabin was on the middle deck and I had a French Balcony. The glass door slides open and there is a railing. With the doors opened, the sun and fresh air streaming in, it was absolutely heavenly.
Amsterdam
My favorite port of call was Amsterdam. I wouldn’t mind going back there one day. We took a canal cruise excursion and it was mesmerizing. Houseboats of all sizes and shapes moored on either side; colorful, narrow, 3 to 6 story homes built side by side; some leaning dangerously as they are all built on pilings. The canals are narrow and intertwining. The locks bring in fresh sea water, so although the water is murky, it is not smelly and has no algae growth. It’s amazing how the long tour boats navigate through the sharp turns. We sailed past Anne Frank’s home.
What River Cruising is About......
What’s different about AMA Waterways is that bottled water; wine and beer at dinner; and Internet are all complimentary. Their in-cabin TV converts to a computer, so you don’t even need to bring your own laptop.
River cruising is a very different experience from ocean cruising. It’s all about learning the history and culture of the region as you cruise. There are no casinos or big time entertainment. If we docked overnight in town, they would bring on local entertainers, but otherwise, the onboard activity is minimal. There is a very small gym, beauty salon, gift shop and massages are available. Bicycles are also on hand for guided bike tours.
The cruise fare includes all your meals and excursions. They have tours for gentle walkers, as well as active walkers. River cruising is a wonderful way to get up close to the towns without packing & unpacking. Because of the small size of the ships, meeting lots of interesting people from all over the world is easy.
River cruising is very high on my “must do” list; it should be on yours as well!
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